Early in the morning, long before the matches were set to begin, most people had already gotten out of bed. By the time Eichi woke up, the majority of the residents were already active.
While Eichi was still having breakfast, Ryuichi came running over.
Knock, knock!
Eichi opened the door, and Ryuichi walked right in. Seeing a few pieces of bread on the table, he immediately grabbed one and started eating.
"Ryuichi, why did you come over so early? There's still over an hour until the opening ceremony. Is there really a need to be in such a hurry?" Eichi asked.
Ryuichi swallowed the last bite of bread before replying, "Let me tell you, we have to go early. If we get there late, we won't find a good spot to see the Holy Flame."
"I heard from others that past Indigo League tournaments were exactly like this. If you show up late, you won't see a thing," Ryuichi added.
Eichi nodded, realizing he had indeed forgotten about that detail. Consequently, after finishing breakfast, Eichi and Ryuichi headed out together.
Although it was still early, there were quite a few people out and about. Technically, they could have simply waited at the Indigo Stadium, but Ryuichi felt that would be boring. Instead, he led Eichi to wait along a road where the Holy Flame was scheduled to pass.
At this time, the roadside was already packed with people waiting for the Holy Flame. These people were all spectators of the Indigo League.
Every face was filled with excitement and an unspeakable sense of joy. Being in such a collective atmosphere made it easy for anyone to get swept up in the emotion. Ryuichi found an empty spot, and they settled in to wait.
After waiting for half an hour, Eichi began to feel a bit bored. Fortunately, Mumu, Buliangren, and Kadokawa arrived to join them.
With nothing better to do, Eichi started chatting with them. He was particularly interested in the stories from their journeys.
Inside a large building, numerous police officers in security uniforms were rushing in and out with hurried expressions.
On the third floor, in the main office area, countless clerical staff were busy making phone calls at their desks.
In the transparent glass command center at the very front, dozens of electronic screens were neatly arranged on the wall. This was the monitoring room, where over a dozen staff members operated computers with headsets linked to their ears.
Behind them, an Officer Jenny stared seriously at the wall of surveillance footage.
The videos before her showed every location the Holy Flame was set to pass, from the starting point to the final destination at the Indigo Stadium.
Every person in the frames could be seen clearly, despite the lively crowds and the sheer number of spectators. In one of the videos, Eichi could even be seen chatting with Buliangren.
However, beyond the ordinary citizens, there were also several powerful trainers hidden among the crowd.
Looking at the monitoring screens, Officer Jenny murmured to herself, "I hope nothing goes wrong."
Eichi noticed that several people in the surrounding crowd gave off a significant amount of pressure.
For instance, there was an older man standing not far to his left. Although his appearance and clothing were very ordinary, Eichi's sharp perception allowed him to notice the man's strength.
He speculated that these trainers were hidden in the crowd to maintain order.
So, how exactly did Team Rocket manage to sabotage the opening ceremony in the anime? Eichi wondered.
Time passed by imperceptibly. Near the Indigo Stadium, there were several other venues, and outside each one was a massive electronic screen broadcasting the Holy Flame ceremony.
The large screens showed a man dressed in athletic gear holding a torch. Two Officer Jennies on motorcycles led the way to clear the path and protect the torchbearer.
Following the torchbearer was a modified red off-road vehicle. Standing on top of it was a short, elderly gentleman with a large white beard. The old man had a kind and gentle face, and wearing casual clothes, he appeared very approachable.
He was Mr. Goodshow, the President of the Pokémon League Torch Committee.
Behind him was another vehicle with two people standing on the roof: a male cameraman carrying a video camera and a female host holding a microphone.
The coverage wasn't limited to the ground; there were also two helicopters in the sky. Each helicopter carried a photographer capturing the event from above.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are currently broadcasting the Indigo League Opening Ceremony—the Welcoming of the Holy Flame."
"We can now see our torchbearer running toward the Indigo Stadium. Let's cheer and welcome his arrival!"
Whenever the torchbearer shown on the electronic screens passed a certain area, the surrounding crowd would erupt in cheers. The atmosphere was incredibly vibrant.
After some time and several rotations of torchbearers, the flame was finally approaching their location.
"Eichi, it's coming! It's coming!" Ryuichi shouted.
The crowd further up the road began to cheer even before the torch arrived. People held small flags and waved them incessantly.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the motorcycles of the Officer Jennies gradually appeared in their line of sight. Behind them, a small, elderly man ran forward while carrying the torch.
As the group drew closer, everyone around Eichi broke into loud cheers. Ryuichi, Mumu, Buliangren, and Kadokawa all joined in with the crowd.
Eichi felt somewhat affected by the energy. He didn't cheer out loud, choosing instead to watch quietly, but his heart was pounding with excitement.
The moment President Mr. Goodshow passed by, Eichi sensed an astounding amount of energy hidden within the flames.
This flame was left behind by Moltres, one of the three Legendary Birds.
Of course, it wasn't from just any ordinary Moltres, but one that held a divine office. In the anime, this flame had even transformed into a fire bird to defeat Team Rocket.
After the procession passed, Ryuichi said, "Let's go. It's our turn now."
Once the flame was lit in the Indigo Stadium, it would be time for the competitors to make their entrance. All participants had received a notice the previous night to gather backstage at the Indigo Stadium this morning.
The four of them quickly ran toward the stadium.
The Indigo Stadium was massive, though naturally smaller than the Bird's Nest from Eichi's previous life. Since they couldn't use the main entrance, they entered through a small side door.
Once inside, the environment was completely different from the outside. It was filled with various equipment and people. Aside from the staff, only the competitors were allowed in this area.
Most of the 256 participants had already arrived. Unlike the boisterous atmosphere outside, it was relatively quiet here. Even when there were discussions, voices were kept very low.
By this time, the Indigo Stadium was packed to capacity with spectators. When they saw the torchbearer enter the stadium, everyone cheered.
President Mr. Goodshow ran up to the Holy Flame pedestal. A host standing nearby announced:
"It is time once again for the annual Indigo League. Now, let us have our President, Mr. Goodshow, light the Holy Flame and declare the Indigo League officially open!"
The microphone was held up to President Mr. Goodshow as he lowered the torch into the pedestal.
Whoosh!
The flames flared up brightly, and President Mr. Goodshow announced:
"The Indigo League is now officially open!"